Asking breeders to see if my small pup's growth rate is normal.
 

Hello, All
I was wondering if anyone has picture of their yorkie puppies at 6 month of age. And if any breeder is out there to give an opinion on a healthy growth rate. I have attached a picture of Sophie and picture of her teeth too. I want to make sure she is growing normally as she is so small.

Sophie is little over 6 month old. When I got her, the breeder told me she is 20 weeks old, 5 months old at March 14th. She is extremely active with big appetite and extreme energy level but her weight at 5 month old was 780 gram(1.7 lb). My daughter works as a volunteer at a pet rescue group. And she advised I feed her often and add wet food so she can gain more weight. When I measured her last on April 26th, she was 1115 gram (2.45 lb). She seems to be growing well but she looks like a younger puppy still as her color is all black with littlebit bit of tan still. I saw pictures of other 6 months old yorkies online and they seem to have more mature hair colors and longer hair. I am unsure if she looks like younger pup. (I did give her a trim on her hair after watching a few youtube videos last week... with this pandemic, I have to be many things...)

Here is Sophie's weight recorded.

March 14-780 gram 27.5-1.71 lb
March 16 - 850 gram 30oz
March 28-948 gram 33.4oz
April 1-959 gram 33.8 oz
April 8-1015 gram 35.8 oz - 2.23 lb
April 14-1050 gram 37 - 2.31 lb
April 18-1142 gram 40.28-2.5 lb
April 23-1189 gram 42-2.6 lb
April 26-1115 gram 39.3 ounce 2.45lb

I’ve read that some breeders will fudge the birth date on pups, to make buyers think a pup is older (and therefore likely to remain small). So I guess the first question you should ask yourself is: how much do I trust the breeder?

Beyond that, I think there is quite a bit of variation in the coloration of puppies. However, (and I’m saying this from the perspective of someone with very little Yorkie experience), your Sophie does look a little younger in that first picture than my Jax looked at (approximately) six months, but it might just be the way her hair is trimmed. Jax won’t hold still long enough for me to trim him, which he desperately needs. There are photos of him in my thread “New to Yorkies” on this forum. Two are when he was three months and one is when he was about six and a half months. He’s about seven and a half months now, and he has almost no black left on his head, although his back is still mostly black.

Sophie is adorable.

Puppies can all grow differently her size really depends on her genetics. She may just stay pretty small. I’m guessing you didn’t get Canadian Kennel Club papers with her because that would have her birth date and the are ver hard to fake with the reputable registry. Being tiny and a puppy she does need to have access to food very often but over feeding her isn’t the kind of weight you want her to put on. Your vet is the best person to answer your questions. She is awful cute though.

Thanks for the responses. I got her from someone in the neighborhood. She said her family is a breeder in Europe and she seem to have hard time selling the pup during the pandemic. She did come with medical records and health records that shows her birth date October 21,2019.

I have been on a waiting list from a local registered breeder for another yorkie pup for almost a year. I am still on the list.
I know I should have waited for her puppy first but I just could not say no to the puppy after seeing her.

I just want to make sure Sophie is spayed at right time before the second pup joins us. I am worried about spaying her if she has abnormal growth rate or worst case she is younger.

I will visit the vet soon. I am not too keen on visiting vet during this pandemic situation. Number of infected here in canada is still not controlled.

Thank you both for the response.

The only thing that could really effect her growth that could be possible really would be a liver shunt which a blood test can tell you if she has it but I don’t think there is any issue. She seems fine to me. Has she not been to your vet at all yet? I think she’s just going to be small.

No, she has not seen my vet yet but she will very soon. Do you recommend any testing other than liver shunt? And do you think it is okay to spay her too or should I wait until she is older? She is just so energetic, loves people, eats well, sleeps well, not even a single diarrhea incident, extremely food-motivated so she learns everything very quickly with treats. It’s a joy to have this little one. But I am just not completely comfortable with her small size. Her record shows she had all recommended shots including rabies. I want to rule out any common disease in yorkies and able to spay her too so any suggestion is appreciated.

Spaying must be performed before her first heat which is usually 6 months old, in wee tiny babies it may be 8 months, it's hard to say. Average is heat every 6 months.

I prefer spaying before the first heat. You will need to do pre op surgery to make sure every is good for surgery. When you get a pup or dog no matter who they come from it’s best to have a vet check them out within the first 3 days. She sounds very healthy and normal.

I agree with you. Vet visit is the first thing. I have known my vet for over 15 years. He is away currently and won’t be available for few weeks. His son became a vet and joined not long ago. And I was going to wait. But I may just have to see his son.

If your dog is Eating, Active, Eliminating, and Happy, I would not worry.


I have owned, trained, bred and raised dogs all my life. I have had, and trained, several different breeds of dogs. I have found that having larger breeds, giant breeds, as well as even medium breeds is much different than having these TINY Yorkie dogs. When we first brought Katy home I worried about her not gaining too much weight. But then, I am used to dogs gaining pounds a week, not ounces per month.


The old rule of thumb for dog weight is: 'You should be able to feel the ribs, but not see them.'
This means when you run your hand down their sides lengthwise, you should be able to feel that they have ribs, but not each rib. When the dog is standing and you are looking down at it, from above, you should not be able to see it's ribs. (I know, Yorkie Hair, right? Ha Ha)



It could be that you have a Yorkie that was bred small, know to many as Teacups. I have a lady that has taught me much about the breed. She has had Yorkies her lifetime. Right now she has 4, not one over 5 pounds. I mean, not even 5.5 pounds, the largest is just 5 pounds; her smallest, is a healthy, bouncing 2.2 pound, 14 year old.

There is no such thing as a "teacup" yorkie, the word "teacup" is used by unscrupulous breeders to charge more money for smaller dogs. A yorkie is a yorkie no matter what size it is.

I think I see it now after reading your comment and other posting that she may be born small. I did not see the parents of Sophie. When I went to see the pup for the first time, there were two female pups. I picked Sophie because she ran to me and gave me so many kisses like she knew me already. The other pup was very quiet and shy. She seemed like a bigger yorkie and very pretty face. I did not give too much thought at that time as both puppies were just so cute. Sophie did not give me any chance for me to pick up or hold the their pup. I just loved her personality, active and fun.
Now that I think of it, the breeder mentioned to me that she usually sells the pup for very expensive price, I think she said $3000. I thought she was just trying to sell the pup to me... but after reading some postings and looking at some of breeder listings online I see this may be true.

I am expecting another puppy to join our family in few months. Breeder(CKC registered) contacted me and said her dog had 3 female puppies. I did see her dogs at her house and they are standard size and just Gorgeous.

I don’t agree with people breeding for teacups. And I think promoting awareness for healthy puppies and registered breeders are important.

I hope Sophie will grow little bigger to safely play with the other pup.

Ehhh ugh no not the evil word teacup ::throws up:: sorry I hate that word it has caused so many issues that are not good in the yorkie world. It’s ok though for puppies to be a little on the chubby side they normally grow out of it.

I hear you. I am reading about it too and I see why you hate the word. Breeder told me she sells the small ones to some seniors who cannot take care of large dogs. I was thinking they are all born different sizes. I did not think about how they would breed small... If it’s unethical then it should be banned for sure. It’s nice to have a community of good yorkie people to learn and discuss about it.

I feel like a couple of you gave a snotty, not so nice, reply to my post. I'm ok with that. I know that I am NOT as stupid as you want people to believe I am by what you posted in reply to my answer to the question.



I do NOT think ok with pretending that there is not a word for smaller Yorkies. There is. That word is Teacup. Something else I have noticed. It is people with oversized Yorkies that do not like the term.


IF you reread my post I said that the term is 'known to many'. I will ask? When you hear the word Teacup, do you not know they are talking about a smaller Yorkie? Do you not know that the Standard for the Breed calls for 7 pounds and under?????? That is.....AND UNDER.



Also. Not all small Yorkies are sickly. Not even all of those 3 pounds and under.



It's like Miniature Horses.....some and especially the ones bred ONLY for size, are sickly and born with a LOT of deformities. It does not mean that the entire group of the smaller sized are not bred well.

I was trying to joke but since we are going with the attack......... any yorkie under 7 pounds is standard so a 2 pound yorkie is just simply a standard yorkie no other word needed. Reputable breeders will not be associated with the word teacup period no need to argue about it. Breeders who breed for tiny yorkies only care about the size not the health that is why many say they are sickly. Any one who has a passion and care for the breed hate the word teacup. The word shows that the people using it are significantly uneducated about the breed. I sense some jealousy of us with the bigger yorkies that are more like the originals :rolleyes:

I hope nobody gets offended in this wonderful community. I am still new here without too much expertise. I enjoy reading the posts(especially during this gloomy pandemic situation).

I don’t think anyone in this thread have any bad intention. I guess the word teacup means different to different people. We all joined this YorkieTalk because we love this breed and I trust that we all mean well.

I was not being "snotty" nor was I inferring that you were stupid.You are hearing a tone that is not there. It is called educating new people that "may" read this thread on the yorkie breed. Standard size to "show" is not to "exceed" 7 pounds.
Poodles come in 3 sizes Toy, Mini and standard.
Yorkies are not classified as Poodles are.

A yorkie is a yorkie no matter if it is 17 pounds or 2.5 pounds. It is not people with larger yorkies like my 12 pound rescue boy or my now passed 17 pound girl that do not like the "term teacup". The term "teacup" is used, no pretending bout that, the "fact" is, in the yorkie breed there is not a "teacup" yorkie.

Because there are unscrupulous breeders that deliberately breed for smaller yorkies and refers to them as "teacups" so they can sell them for up to $5000. does not mean because a breeder "describes" their litter as "teacups" does not mean that there is a category class of yorkies that are "teacups".

I am addicted to the yorkie breed, have had them going back to the early 80's when they were not as popular as they are today. I adore the breed, size does not matter to me.

And I did not imply tiny yorkies are sickly yorkies.
This forum is for helping, advising, suggesting, sharing ones experience and educating people on the yorkies breed.
I am sorry you are a sensitive lady and read into what is not there.

Welcome again :). Because you are new to the world of yorkies you should know a yorkie is a yorkie no matter what their size may be. There are many reputable breeders that breed to better the breed, they breed for standard size and yes there may be smaller pups in a litter but a reputable breeder will not refer to it as a "teacup".

I have seen yorkie dresses and other clothing that are marked size teacup, because a label on a dress, sweater, coat has the word "teacup" does not mean there is a classifiction of yorkies called teacups. If your baby ends up weighing 3.5 pounds it is "just" a tiny yorkie.

Multiple yorkies are soooo much fun to watch them play and just enjoying life.

Yorkies are like potato chips, you can't have just one lol ;)

Again. I am not offended. I get what you are saying about Breeders. I do. However. I also understand HOW the term Teacup came to be.


And there IS a lean toward, with some people here, that small Yorkies, those bred to Standard, they do NOT have to be Conformational Show Dogs to be bred to Standard, ARE SICKLY.



My sticking point is why some have such issues with a work that covers the really tiny bred dogs.....and no, not all that breed that size are bad people or doing anything wrong. Some are breeding healthy dogs within the Standard for the Breed.

Ha Ha Ha I am glad you through the joke in at the end!

It's not "why" ppl have an issue with referring to tiny yorkies being called "teacup". The issue is a yorkie, regardless if it weighs only 2 1/2 Lbs is not classified as a "teacup". That name was made up by unscrupulous breeders that breed for tiny dogs because that is what ppl want, tiny dogs, so breeders use that word to charge big bucks for a tiny dog. And yes, many of these tiny dogs are very fragile due to size, some are sickly due to unscrupulous breeders (AKA as greeders) not researching the genetic back grounds of their mating pairs several generations back to ensure there were no genetic issues that would be passed down to future litters.

Reputable breeders would never breed for tiny yorkies, if they had a litter of smaller dogs they would not refer to them as "teacups" because there is no classification as "teacup" with the yorkie breed.

It is not me, nor anyone that has bigger yorkies getting annoyed when hearing or seeing anyone using the word "teacup" it's misrepresenting the breed. It is fact, a yorkie 2 1/2 Lb is classified as a standard yorkie but, any yorkie under 5 Lbs cannot be used in a AKC show ring that is the difference.

Uneducated people not knowing the yorkie breed will continue to refer to them as "teacups". If you refer to a tiny yorkie as a "teacup" you are misrepresenting the breed.

Just to add, YorkieTalk has a joke name for bigger yorkies, they are called in a "joking" way "teapot" yorkies. I do hope you do not now refer to any yorkie over 7 Lbs as "teapot" yorkies ;)

Hi, Marna. I hope you won’t be offended if I address this particular point, not as a person with much yorkie experience but rather as a person with years and years of experience in animal rescue. There is a valid reason so many people have issues with a “word that covers the really tiny dogs.” The reason has nothing to do with loving dog owners who call their dogs “tiny” or “below average in size” or even (in the beginning, anyway) “teacup.” The issue arises when unscrupulous breeders and sellers appropriate a cute and innocuous word to mislead others. And that’s what happened with the word “teacup.” Unscrupulous breeders and sellers started using the word to mislead the public about all kinds of dogs (not just yorkies) and about other animals, too (believe me, there is no such thing as a “teacup pig.”)

Unscrupulous breeders and sellers, unfortunately, use this particular word for profit, without consideration for who they are harming. They purposely try to breed smaller and smaller dogs, because selling them is profitable, even if a fairly large percentage have deformities and congenital medical issues. They also mislead buyers with promises that pups will “stay tiny,” even though they know or should know that a fairly large percentage of the pups will grow larger than promised. Many of the pups of these breeders don’t survive, many of the pups who do survive suffer, and many of the pups end up being dumped by their owners because they have issues or because they grew “too big.”

Is all this the fault of the word “teacup?” Of course not. But when a word is used too many times in a harmful way, people should stop using it. That applies to any word used in a harmful way. Think of all the words used, in the past, to describe groups of humans that are not used anymore (or are not supposed to be used anymore) because of the harm they caused.

In all honesty I was trying to joke about it. I’m not a fan of the word and I fear when people use it that they make it seem ok and then people think buying from breeders advertising teacups is ok and it’s just not and they more then likely are going to get a sick pup. I really do love this breed and just want to help educate people about it.

The only breeders who use the word teacup are bad breeders so if you use the word people will think it’s ok and normal and then buy from those breeders using the word and then we keep bad breeders in business. You absolutely will not find a good breeder who uses the word. Those breeders advertising teacups put the smallest dogs they can get together ignoring any health issues. They also use females under 5 pounds to breed which is extremely dangerous. Use the word if you want but when around other educated yorkie lovers it makes you seem like you don’t know much about yorkies. Reputable breeders do get tiny yorkies occasionally just like they occasionally get bigger yorkies and those in most cases are healthy.

Well you kinda get obsessed with the size thing so I figure it had to be jealousy. :)

I think we need more people like you to educate people.. We really don’t know sometimes how things are as most of us are pet owners(consumers?) I had someone explain about vegan(ism) and how horribly animals are handled and killed in meat industry, and the meat like beef contains the stress hormone of cow(?) and can cause problem for human consuming it... I could not finish watching the movie they recommended due to graphic images. I think it’s similar in a sense that we don’t see or fathom how puppy mills and unethical breeders handle the animals. And it’s hurtful for people to see that people portray tiny puppies as teacups and promote it as some of you really know that thru educating yourself. After going thru YT postings, I see that we should be more responsible when owning a pet especially during pandemics... more people buy and rescue dogs during this time. I see many in our neighborhood with puppies during this pandemic situations. And I assume there are many good breeders and rescue organizations out there but some people will always try to take advantage of the situation and sell unethically bred teacup puppies for profits. I just hope my Sophie came from ethical breeder. And I know I will now wait for my second puppy from a registered breeder, not rush into things....

Here is what you are not reading in my post. I do not call them Teacup. But I get why people do.


But. I also know that what I call reputable, is a breeder that breed the breed they are breeding as close to the STANDARD FOR THE BREED as they are able.


Breeding dogs too large, is as bad as breeding too small.... Many Yorkies are OVER sized for Carin Terriers.....

I have heard that for years....no, it is not a term I use.